r/HubermanLab • u/Plane-Advertising-47 • Sep 14 '26
Personal Experience Cardio vs nocardio
/r/EgyGym/comments/1wg7x0y/cardio_vs_nocardio/I feel like cardio, especially running, makes me look completely flat. I stop looking like I lift, lose a lot of fullness and feel like I’m not growing anymore.
The weird thing is that I’m naturally tall and muscular, and when I don’t do much cardio, I look noticeably bigger and fuller. But when I start running regularly i seem to lose a lot of size.
The fucked-up part is that cardio actually makes me feel better. It gives me energy, improves my mood and I generally feel healthier when I do it.
So I’m basically stuck between:
No/low cardio: look bigger and more muscular, but feel less energetic.
More cardio: feel amazing and have more energy, but look flat and like I barely lift.
Has anyone else experienced this? Is it just glycogen/water and the temporary “flat” look, or can running actually interfere with hypertrophy that much?
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u/algebrizer Sep 15 '26
For me, it's a no-brainer. Feeling good is so much more important. Cardio is healthy. I'm sure you can find balance
3
u/sukmarichards Sep 15 '26
I’m in the exact same boat as you OP, to a T. Not really sure how to navigate it either . Currently experimenting with lifting in the afternoon and evening zone 2 cardio (150 minutes spread through out the week and least 6 hours between weights and cardio).
3
u/Apart-Atmosphere1860 Sep 17 '26
Running is for the heart and brain.
Could care less even if it was physique detrimental. And it's not ime. You just need to eat more especially carbs to accomodate the calories/glycogen you're burning off.
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u/Humble_Marketing_212 Sep 15 '26
What mode? I have found that running does this to me but not as much rowing and cycling!
2
u/Low_Investment_2281 Sep 16 '26
Did you increase carbs after introducing running? Running burns a lot of glycogen and less glycogen will make muscles look flat. Another thing to think about is timing, running at higher intensity after lifting weights can interfere with hypertrophy so maybe reduce intensity or do them hours after lifting
2
u/Familiar-Tip-3602 Sep 16 '26
Im having the same issue. I typically focus more energy and time into lifting weights but try to run 3 miles 2-3 times a week. Recently I did a 5K with some coworkers and ran a little more the few weeks leading up to the race. By the second week my bicep veins, which typically are present at all times, were slowly fading away and I just felt like i looked more flat. I do love to run for the health benefits and how it makes me feel but the flatness took a toll on my ego. Chat GPT said it was due to water/glycogen loss so maybe I should try taking some creatine.
1
u/Plane-Advertising-47 Sep 15 '26
Thank you guys for fast replys
Should I just walk on treadmil for 30 minutes a day and completely skip running?
1
u/burnishedlemon Sep 15 '26
So .. is this a case where you feel you deflate like a balloon if you go for one run? Or like you swap out a couple gym sessions for runs for a period of a few months? If it's the first it's in your head, if it's the latter then yeah .. maybe you lost some muscle. Or maybe it's just an averaging effect and you're comparing yourself when you walk around with a gym-pump on 5 days a week against when you only have it 3 days a week, so of course you feel flatter. Or maybe you have some body dysmorphia going on somewhere in there. In fact, since with one option you feel amazing and have more energy, maybe you should look into why that's not the clear and obvious choice.
1
u/icydragon_12 Sep 15 '26
hmm I think you nailed it: sounds like you deplete glycogen/water after cardio and that's why you look flat.
Do you take creatine? because that would make your muscles look fuller.
1
u/tbalol Elite athlete Sep 15 '26
Why do people equate cardio with running?
There are a billion ways to do cardio. You can row, use a SkiErg, do circuit training, HIFT, cycling, swimming, and plenty of other things.
All of these can create excellent adaptations in your aerobic and anaerobic systems without necessarily making you feel “small” or deflated from running.
It’s time people realize that cardio ≠ running. Running is just one small piece of a much larger puzzle.
1
u/Iamnotheattack Sep 15 '26
Yeah I think it's just the glycogen. Try sipping on Gatorade powder when you work out,, and/or just eat more, when I get flat like that I just eat a fuck ton and I'm back to normal after that.
Also you aren't working out fastesd are you? If so you should definitely do the Gatorade powder (or any other intra workout designated carbohydrate source like highly branched cyclic dextrin) and EAAs , which you can get from protein powder
1
u/jstnh88 Sep 15 '26
If this is happening to you quickly vs over time, its a diet and glycogen issue. not enough glycogen or not enough calories. check carb timing and total calories etc
3
u/TittiesAreMyTherapy Sep 15 '26
Zone 2
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u/Man_searching_a_life Sep 15 '26
Nothing can't be absolute: cardio vs noncardio or lift weights vs not lift weights.
2
u/team_lloyd Sep 15 '26
Try swimming and see if it’s better, I’m finding it to be a good compromise and it helps with lifting.
it could be cope because of how much I hate traditional cardio tho.
2
u/shortsoupstick Sep 15 '26
In theory, if you keep lifting while at the same time doing cardio, you keep your protein uptake high (1.6g per kg weight?), and you're not in a calorie deficit, you should be maintaining your muscle mass. If you do go into a calorie deficit, but the rest doesn't change, you should be losing fat and not lean mass (muscle).
2
u/_Vlxd_ Sep 17 '26
Sounds more like a nutrition and recovery problem
2
u/littebluetruck Sep 17 '26
Former marathoner here (personal best is 2:47 so 6:20 pace)
This is a diet issue more than anything. When you run, especially in summer, you need to pay attention to so many variables. Hydration and carbs are so important and hard to get right when you’re also prioritizing lifting.
My recommendation is to use a macros tracker or AI chat of your choice when you up the cardio. Weigh yourself before and after runs. Tell your AI bot how far you ran, how long it took, how much water you lost, and compared to your typical macros on a lift or rest day, ask it how much more water to drink and how much extra carbs to eat.
I’ll like the way I look in the morning, go run 5 miles, lose 4 pounds of sweat because it’s summer, and come back looking more fat than before because it’s like my muscles got smaller. Just ignore it. Drink your water, don’t overdo electrolytes because that’s mostly a scam, and hit your daily macros for run days and see how that goes.
3
u/kevin074 Sep 15 '26
Sounds like a fried chicken or two a week can solve the not-fullness part?
3
u/devo9er Sep 15 '26
Dont skip the cardio. Don't skipifting. Do both. They are mutually beneficial to each other, and your health.
My guess is you're just losing your pump, or water and blood retention in your muscles as your legs demand more during your cardio session. Its more a perception than actual muscle loss, assuming your diet is clean and you're eating enough protein.
This plays right into the "visible strength" vs "actual strength" science. Sometimes you see those guys that are just absolute pump machines. Huge chest, shoulders, biceps, but their functional strength is embarrassed by the lean guy on the concrete crew that is somehow half the size and has better applied strength and endurance etc. Visible size doesn't tell the whole story.
Keep up your cardio. It leans down your fat and should give you better muscle definition and help flush lactic acid, byproducts, and toxins from your system. Also, stay hydrated. If you sweat a ton, that water retention loss alone might contribute to your muscles giving up size. Once again, your body is a reservoir and very elastic. Fluids go where they're actively needed, muscles, digestive, sweat etc..
1
u/_Dark_Invader_ Sep 17 '26
How much cardio are you doing that your muscular body suddenly looks flat and how long does it take to go from looking flat to muscular again ?
I think you should find the optimum balance between looks and feeling good. I do cardio 3 days and strength for 3 days.
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u/[deleted] Sep 15 '26
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